The Vampire Waltz
by butimbroken
Summary: When Whistler found Angel, he never sent him to Sunnydale. Instead, Whistler sent the vampire to LA where he met Doyle and started up Angel Investigations. When the Slayer comes to town to warn an old friend their paths cross for the first time. COMPLETE... Maybe.
1. Chapter 1

Angel was pretty sure all of this started because of Gunn. All of a sudden the other day, the gang was all sitting around, coming back to the hotel after a particularly nasty demon that had them all covered in yellow and green slime, when he'd gone and muttered how he almost wished some new "big bad" would come to town. Everyone had given him a variety of looks and he'd just shrugged it off, saying he was kind of bored of the "same ol' same ol," that their nights have all started to sort of bleed together.

Things had been relatively quiet lately. Doyle would had a vision, they'd find the person they were meant to help, the issue would be taken care of. There were also the few side jobs from walk ins they took but none of them had been exactly something worth writing home about in awhile either.

Angel wasn't one to mind, though. He just wanted to do what he could in this world and didn't need the theatrics one damn bit.

The next several days only reminded him of that as a sudden rush of people from everyone's past just suddenly were showing up left and right and wreaking havok every which where. Some of Gunn's old street gang buddies suddenly having a stick up their ass, Doyle's ex wife had made an appearance as had about eight different demons who had beef with the half-breed, hell even Whistler had showed up to warn him something big was coming.

He hadn't seen Whistler in years, not since he'd gotten him off the dirty streets of New York City and shoved the idea in his head that maybe a vampire with a soul could do more in this world than he'd thought, not since helping him get his life on track and being sent to Los Angeles.

Whistler had helped get him to a better state of mind, he trained, he was properly fed, he was pumped full of all the information about how he could possibly help the world he was trapped in and do some good. And maybe someday he could even the slate enough to get a new start. He'd come to LA and quickly met Doyle who helped him start Angel Investigations, who helped him get a start on helping the people of the City of Angels.

Cordelia was the next one added to their little band of misfits. The aspiring actress had fallen into his path early on, she'd grown up in the little town of Sunnydale that was one of the Hellmouths so it didn't surprise her one bit that he was a vampire. She'd thrown herself in as their part time secretary and had started a relationship up with Doyle.

Soon there was also adding in Gunn and later Lorne... and they were all making this whole helping the helpless thing work the best they could.

After dealing with a witch Lorne happened to know from when he first arrived in this particular dimension, Angel put his head on the desk in front of him and prayed for some peace. For no more flashes of people of the past, no unexpected visitors... for just some peace... even if for just the next twenty-for hours. Hell, even for the rest of the evening.

He'd barely got that thought out into the universe however before a tiny blonde came walking through the front door.

"Welcome to Angel Investigations," Doyle's thick accent filled the room.

She went to open her mouth but Cordelia suddenly jumped up before any sound came out. "_Buffy_?"

"Cordelia," the blonde finally spoke, nodding toward the brunette.

"Oh, my God, Buffy! What in the world are you doing here?"

"Buffy?" Doyle whispered, rolling his chair a little closer to Angel. "Ain't that the vampire slayer?" he asked.

Cordelia had let it be known quite some time ago all about how she knew of the dangerous evils of the world.. the vampires, the demons, witches... apparently mayor's who liked turning into giant snakes... because of her time on the Hellmouth in Sunnydale. She tended to brag over the fact that she had known and fought against said creatures of the night with the one and only Slayer.

Angel nodded but otherwise found himself trying to remain as still as possible. Soul or not, slayers hadn't been too fond of him in his time.

He had also heard about this particular slayer who lived just a few hours from him from more than just her old high school friend here. She was making waves in the underground, poised to be the best slayer the world had ever known. She was a force to be reckoned with.

This Buffy girl glanced their way briefly before crossing her arms across her chest. "Devon."

"Devon? _Dingoes Devon_? From high school?" Cordy asked, clearly confused.

"One and the same," Buffy answered. "He got himself into trouble recently, the you wind up with two little holes in your neck kind. And, for some reason, has been going after people who he sees as did him wrong in high school," she sounded annoyed, even rolled her eyes as she spoke about this Devon character. "So, naturally, I thought of you."

"And you came all the way to LA to warn me?"

"Don't flatter yourself that much Cordelia. I was already in town... _with_ Dingoes actually. After their show last night... well, all hell broke loose. There was this thing with Harmony and-"

"Wait. Harmony is in town?"

"Unfortunately. She thinks she's a groupie or something."

"And she didn't call me?"

Buffy sighed. "That is something to discuss with her, not me. I'm just here... warning you."

The two young women seemed to stare at one another for an eternity, then the air in the room seemed to shift. "Uh oh," Doyle muttered.

"You know, I'm not a scared little girl in Sunnydale anymore. I can take care of myself, I do it all the time, every single day in fact."

"I never said you couldn't handle it, Cordy. I'm just letting you know that one of your many ex-boyfriends has gone after your former best friend, apparently Blayne Moll and a few other people from high school. I was giving you a heads up."

"I don't need it. I don't need_ Buffy The Vampire Slayer_ swooping in to save the day."

The blonde let out a huge breath and uncrossed her arms. "Fine!"

"Fine!" Cordelia echoed back to her.

"I don't know why I even bothered tracking you down with this."

"Me either, Buffy. Because I don't need it. I can fight my own battles, and I have a team of my own now," she said, gesturing toward the men on the other side of the room.

Buffy's head turned and she glanced at them again.

"Hi there," Doyle greeted once again. "I'm Doyle, this is Angel... he's a vampire... as I'm sure you've gathered. But he has a soul, he's a good guy. Don't stake him please," he said to her. "The green fella is Lorne. Gunn isn't back yet, he's human... good fighter though."

The vampire slayer took each one of them in before looking back to Cordelia. "Then, I guess you're all covered."

"I guess so."

The blonde shook her head in annoyance and started walking back toward the door. Angel let out an unneeded breath as soon as she was on the other side.

"You gonna be alright mate?" Doyle asked. Angel nodded slowly and swallowed hard. "So... that's the vampire slayer? One girl in all the world and all that?" he asked after a moment.

Cordelia rolled her eyes, falling back into her chair. "Yep. That would be Buffy."

"Isn't she a wee bit small to be a vampire slayer?" he asked. "That is not the image I had in my head at all."

OoOoO

The next time Angel found himself in the presence of the beautiful blonde was only the following evening. Doyle had called him in a panic saying he and Cordelia had gone to pick up their pizza order and the next thing he knew Cordelia was being grabbed just as a vision hit him. He was basically useless when those damn "gifts" from The Powers That Be hit. It didn't help that the vision was _of_ Cordelia either.

He'd rushed out all the information he had and not too long after the gang was gathered up and searching for her.

They'd happened to run in to Buffy, along with two of her friends, who were battling it out with a couple of newly turned vampires in an alleyway. Clearly, she didn't need help so the group all seemed to just pause as they watched her fight. Her friends seemed to try and help but almost got in the way more than actually helped out.

Doyle was again the one filling everyone in on what had happened and none of the little trio wasted any time jumping in to help.

OoOoO

The Slayer and friends, Willow and Xander, were already on the trail of this Devon MacLeish character before knowing about the Cordelia being captured situation so that had certainly helped. It was less than an hour before they were in the all clear again, having dusted the singer, saved Cordelia and a small group of others. Angel watched as the red haired girl, Willow, made her way over to a boy with similar hair color and wrapped her arms around him.

His attention next went to Cordelia and Doyle who was trying to ask her what had happened and if she were alright.

And finally, to the blonde vampire slayer. He could smell it on her, more right now though as she had a gash down her slender arm, blood making a fat line toward her hand as it oozed from the wound. She said something to the boy, Xander, then walked off. He couldn't help it, moving as if he were having an out of body experience, following after her. "Are you okay?"

She made a face. She'd taken her hoodie off and was using it to apply pressure on the wound now. "I'll live. It'll probably be all clear in an hour or two anyway."

"Perks of being a slayer."

"Or, a vampire," she said, her green eyes coming up to meet his.

Angel found himself losing all of whatever bravery he'd just had a burst of as she stared at him. She still had a stake in the same hand as the hoodie and knew he'd never take her if she attacked.

"So, you're really a vampire... with a soul?" she asked after what felt like forever.

"Cursed," he managed to get out as an explanation.

"Yeah?"

"Gypsies."

Her lips pursed together and stuck out a bit with the face she made, taking that in. "Cordelia has mentioned you a number of times. Watcher's Council, too."

He said nothing in response to that,

"So, you really just have a demon... lurking... in there?" she asked after another few tense moments.

"Basically. He's there, usually ignored. He doesn't get to be in control."

"Guess that's better than the chips," she muttered.

Angel had no idea what she was talking about and didn't want to ask her right now either.

She patted her arm again a few times. He wondered if he was going to get high off the aroma. "Can I see?"

He blinked. "Can you see...?"

She threw the hoodie off to the side. "Can I see?" she asked again.

This time he managed to get what she was meaning. "Um..." he trailed off. Her eyebrows raised. "O-okay," he said slowly. He glanced over once more at Doyle and Cordelia before letting his face transform from the human version to the vampire. Angel wasn't sure what happened or if he was even just imagining it, but something seemed to flash in those emerald eyes of hers... something that almost looked like lust. More as he transformed back to his human face.

"Cool," was all she said though, and quickly turned and walked away, grabbing a soda can as she walked back over to check on her friends.

OoOoO

"Call me crazy, but I'm really starting to miss our little mouth to hell," Willow said as the group was all trying to awkwardly part ways again. "And I think that says quite a bit about us," she added as an afterthought.

The guy who Angel learned to be named Oz, and was a werewolf, nodded. "I don't think I can make that drive tonight though."

Xander nodded as well. "Here, here. Something about being in a strange city, fighting off vampires that are not of your own, helping to save your ex-girlfriend... it wears a people down."

Doyle looked at Xander then Cordy. "E-ex-boyfriend?" he asked. Cordelia rolled her eyes and quickly tried to explain the history that was her and Xander Harris.

"I should probably check in with Giles, You know he doesn't like when we're far from home," Buffy said to her little gang.

"_Oooh_, ask him if he will fit the bill for us one more night at the hotel," Willow said.

"Yeah, and again, tell him I have _no idea_ where all those extra charges were coming from."

Willow and Buffy both shook their head at that. "Let's just hope he answers first," she said and began reaching for her phone.

"You know we_ live_ in a hotel right?" Gunn butted in. "Tons of empty rooms not being used. Free to stay. A little extra protection from the dark forces of evil and whatknot."

Cordelia paled a little.


	2. Chapter 2

The hotel was quieter than he could ever remember it being. If he honed in on his vampire senses he could make out each individual person, hearing their breathing or their snoring, or a muttered word in their sleep as they tossed in the bed, he could hear their heartbeat if he paid enough attention, even the blood as it traveled through their veins. He could hear a faucet dripping downstairs, the ticking of clocks... but beyond all of this... the hotel was peaceful.

The groups had merged as one with just a little resistance as they found their way back here. There'd been a young couple waiting and talking with Lorne when they had returned and a few of them had gone back out to help with their situation. It had taken a couple of hours but the job was completed and then it was decided everyone should just call it a night.

Everyone had seemed rather exhausted, finding their way to their respective rooms and getting ready to just lay down and let sleep overtake them. He'd trailed off to his bedroom but sleep wasn't exactly something he was used to at this hour - no matter how tired he was. The rest and not doing much of anything was nice, but sleep just wasn't happening.

He'd eaten, showered, changed. He wrote in his journal and tried to relax... laying down in bed he started reading but he found himself distracted, finally he gave up and set the book aside to just lay down in his large bed and let his thoughts wander as they pleased.

The only other creature awake in the house was her, The Slayer. 'Buffy,' his mind whispered. Her honey colored hair came to mind instantly, those big green eyes, the sound of her voice... Angel closed his eyes and let out an unneeded breath of air. She was making him very unsettled and he didn't know what to make of it.

Angel imagined she was awake due to reasons close to his, used to late nights, running on little sleep, not always being able to just turn her mind off. She felt restless. Closing his eyes, he focused entirely on her and could almost see in his minds eye everything she was doing... laying down, sitting up, pacing the room she'd taken for the night. He could just about see her as she finally gave up, opening the creaky door to her room and walking down to the main lobby.

He had an internal argument with himself briefly before following, being drawn to her once again despite knowing all the risks of even being anywhere near her. He was aware that this particular Chosen One was pretty much in a class of her own but you never knew... she was still a slayer, he still a vampire. Every second she was around he felt like he was on edge waiting for her to spring into natural instinct action.

And yet, here he was... slowly making his way downstairs and watching as she cracked her neck as she stood in front of the fridge downstairs, looking around until deciding on a bottle of water and pulling it out. She closed the large white door and began twisting the blue lid on top of the bottle before looking right at him.

As it had every other time, it made his stomach tighten and if he had breath to steal he was sure that would happen, too.

"Hope you don't mind," she asked directly after taking her first sip.

It almost made him smirk. "Not at all," he said quietly. "Please feel at home."

She shrugged, taking another drink.

"You're free to go police the neighborhood or something. I can give you a spare key or-"

"Patrol. We call it going on patrol."

"Oh." He liked that.

"I'm sure early nights are not exactly something you're overly used to," he offered a moment later. "There's also a gym if you just need to burn off energy."

She followed the invisible line he pointed with his finger and then looked back at him. "Thanks. I might take up on that." She took another drink then screwed the lid back on. "Are you always this... intense?"

His face wrinkled up a little. He thought he was being rather conversational and relaxed... given the obvious.

"You look very unrelaxed," she continued.

"Oh. Well. Vampire... Slayer..."

She smiled a little, gently placing her bottle on the counter and took a few steps closer to him. "Right. Well, if I really wanted you gone or thought you were a problem then you would already be ashes in the wind, Angel. So, I don't think you need to worry so much. You know... uncleanch a little. It's okay."

"I'll work on that," he offered.

Buffy looked amused. "Uh huh. I think I might take up on checking out this workout room of yours. Maybe I can get the anxiety out of me enough to eventually fall asleep."

OoOoO

Buffy gave brief thought to moving into this old hotel the second she got acquainted with the shower in her room. She'd never known a hotel to have good water pressure or this much hot water, and it felt like heaven against her body. She turned the water up as hot as she could possibly stand it and just let her mind fall blank as she tilted her head back and just enjoyed the simple pleasure.

Angel hadn't been wrong at all, she wasn't used to calling it quits so early and having this much time to... well, do nothing, do anything she wanted, to relax... it wasn't something she was used to. Between her life as The Chosen One, school, being a friend and a daughter... it wasn't something she got exactly used to.

It didn't help being in a different place, a different town, a different room... or that there was a vampire constantly in close proximity. Willow had noticed it was setting her on edge but didn't know the full scope on as to why. Thankfully.

Of course, she had that little "Spider Sense" inside of her so this Angel character made those little bells go off but it felt different. It wasn't in a warning sense, she didn't feel danger because of him. But she certainly felt him. But... there was so much her favorite red head didn't know...

The first time she'd ever heard mention of Angel came in her first year in Sunnydale. She had been sitting in the library, just asking Giles a long bout of random questions as they popped into her head when she asked if there was any way a vampire could ever be "good." Many of the supernatural beings could go either way, there were good demons and bad demons, good witches and bad... so... what about vampires? Giles had explained that it didn't really apply to these exact creatures and the how-tos about it... but then he got that familiar distant look on his face as he remembered the lone vampire with a soul. He hadn't said much at the time but she had enjoyed the talk and had wondered about such a creature a handful of times.

It wasn't until Cordelia mentioned she'd ran into this very vampire that the gang had really looked into him. Cordelia wasn't exactly her favorite person on the planet but she wanted to make sure she was safe... and it peeked her interest again. A vampire with a soul. Helping people. In her former home town no less! So, everyone had started just doing a little research here and there.

The first time she saw a picture of him - well, it was a drawing - something had shifted inside of her. She could still remember how it had taken her breath and a rush of emotions she'd never felt ran through her entire being. She'd had crushes on boys many, many times... she'd dated, she'd hugged, kissed, even made out with a few of these said boys... but it had all been rather innocent. She daydreamed about movie nights and making out on her front porch, being a silly teenager. But then she saw him and it was like the woman inside of her decided to emerge. If she watching a television show or a movie and a love scene played... she pictured herself... with him, her dreams went from innocent to anything but real quick and he was always the one starring in them... She fantasized about this vampire - this vampire - more than she'd ever want to admit to anyone.

She had stolen two of the drawings Giles had. She'd tried to find out every slice of information she could - at least about since this whole cursed had taken place. Learning about who and what he was prior was a lot loss appealing but she knew enough... Angelus was no joking matter, he'd been a vampire of legend. And now he was in a whole new way since this whole bit of getting a soul business.

She never intended to meet him. She was jealous of Cordelia working with him, knowing him, who knew what else with him... Giles had once asked if they should ask him for assistance before and she'd adamantly told him to never, ever do such a thing. She'd watched the hotel and thought that he was gone before she had come to talk to Cordy... but that hadn't worked out because there he'd sat. She'd tried to ignore it, but her insides were screaming.

Seeing him again had been a whirlwind. Talking to him made her feel dizzy. Fighting alongside him was amazing.

And now this... being here in his home... Yeah... No. It wasn't right, none of what was going on was right.

Her nerves felt like they were on fire. He was live and in color... prettier than she could have ever imagined. He was tall, freakishly tall compared to her in her opinion. He was handsome, his voice sounded like it cut through her soul, he was large and knew how to move his body with grace she sometimes envied. She wanted to stare at him, to touch him, to ask him a million questions... she had a deep need inside of her to grab him and do unspeakable actions with him.

She'd never come close to a need like this before with anyone. And it was hard to concentrate on anything else.

Buffy tried to burn off some extra energy in their small gym before grabbing a quick snack and her bottle of water and heading back to her room, where she then took the most glorious shower of her life. It helped her relax some and clear her mind... but as she climbed into bed... her mind went right back to the vampire.

OoOoO

Angel was trying hard not to mentally stalk the blonde woman any longer, trying his best to do absolutely anything else... his mind registered her though as she moved through the building. He squeezed his eyes shut as the water started and put music on, then the tv to try and distract himself.

He didn't know what it was about this girl but she was throwing him through a fucking loop.

He'd seen vampire slayers before but he'd never felt whatever this was swirling inside of him with any of them. He'd had hatred toward them, fear, a lot of curiosity but this... this was beyond all of that. The second he'd even caught that first glimpse of her it was like she embedded herself in his very being. He craved something about her...

Angel got caught up in thinking about not thinking about her so when he suddenly smelled something new from her - arousal - it hit him quick and almost out of nowhere. He stilled right where he was standing and let the world drift away until all there was was her again.

OoOoO

Doyle was staring at him. He didn't like it. He didn't like the little smile that kept appearing on the Irishman's face either.

Leaving the table several minutes later, Doyle walked over to where Angel was hiding out as everyone ate breakfast and smiled brightly. "I think ya like the lass."

Angel just stared. The look on the half-demon's face made it clear it would do no good to neither deny it or pretend as though he didn't know what he was going on about. It didn't help he kept creeping over here to stare her way over and over. "She's a vampire slayer," was what he finally stated. "And she's extremely young."

"So?" Doyle asked. "She's strong and sexy. Maybe a bit on the younger side but let's face it, Angel. It's not like there's a ton of humans out there sharing your advanced age."

"Whatcha talking about?"

Both men turned quickly and looked wide-eyed at The Slayer in question. "Uhh..."

"Romance," Doyle finally blurted.

She looked confused for a minute. "You date humans?" she asked, posing the question quite obviously to him.

Angel swallowed. "Not really, no." She had a look of... disappointment?... on her face. Only for a moment before quickly covering it up as though it never happened. "I mean... it doesn't exactly work out well."

"And vampires hate him," Doyle threw in. "Turnin' on his own kind and all that."

"I guess that makes sense."

"What about you?" Doyle asked.

"Vampires don't really like me ether," Buffy quipped. "Sure haven't tried to date me."

Doyle's lips turned upward. "I'm sure you have college boys all droolin' over ya though."

She made a face. "Hardly."

"I don't believe that at all."

Buffy shrugged. "Boys get interested... but less when I can't make it to a date because I have to stop a vampire from eating a little boy who got separated from his parents, or have a demon explode all over me... stop an apocalypse or something silly like that. And, if I do happen to make it to that first date... and don't get called away for some evil dwelling business... then, I mean... it still never seems to go well. I hang out with my old high school librarian, I'm flaky on time - always, I'm stronger than them and that usually becomes an issue with boys I've noticed, I have my mind on so many other things... I carry around books about witchcraft and almost all of my stories involve beheading and graveyards.. so..." she trailed off and shrugged again.

"Huh," Doyle said, nodding his head a little. "Funny. Those are some of your favorite topics," he said looking back toward Angel. "Maybe you two..."

Buffy laughed. "A vampire a few centuries old who can have his pick of just about anyone... and a teenage vampire slayer. Wouldn't that be something?"


	3. Chapter 3

It was about three and a half weeks from the time Buffy and her friends left LA and the Angel Investigations crew behind before Doyle had a vision of her. The half-demon gripped the sides of his head as Cordelia tried asking him if he were alright, what did he see and it took a few moments more than usual for him to get a grip on reality again. His eyes locked with Angel's and all he had to do was say her name.

Angel quickly ran back inside and started packing a bag for the road trip. Doyle, feeling better by the time he was halfway done, came running behind him giving him more details about what he had seen. "I don't think you should go alone. I mean, she's the slayer and I get that... but I still had a vision of her."

He paused, letting out a deep breath of air his lungs didn't really need. "You wanna come?"

Doyle made a face. "I was thinking since Cordy knows the town..."

"That maybe the two of you could come," Angel finished.

"And the guys can run things from here while we're gone. It might be interestin' to see the little blonde in action again."

Angel had a feeling he really just wanted to go because he'd been pestering him relentlessly since the meeting of the blonde slayer. But he agreed, maybe they'd come in handy. "Get a bag. And hurry."

Doyle made another face. "Ah... about that..."

Angel held up a hand which cut his words off. "Whatever it is, handle it."

Doyle apologized for Cordelia and her lateness probably fifteen times before she was actually ready to go. Both men rolled their eyes as she was still complaining getting into the car. He blocked her out as he let his mind drift off to the fact he was going to be seeing Buffy again. They'd exchanged numbers for "just in case" before she and her friends had left the hotel and bounded back to their hellmouth hometown but he'd found himself unable to resist calling her one night. He'd smiled as her voice had relaxed knowing it was him and they'd wound up talking for hours like old friends.

He could still remember how his mouth twisted up into a smirk as he began telling her about his biggest foe's out here: Wolfram and Hart. "Evil lawyers? Isn't that a little on the nose?" she'd asked. "I guess I can't say too much. We have a few creatures out here like that, like a loan shark... with a whole shark body thing going on.. He looks like something out of Power Rangers..." They'd talked about some of their biggest battles but also just asking her about how school was doing, how her friends were... anything he could think of to keep her on the phone until she was just too tired to talk any more.

OoOoO

Angel parked in the drive way to Cordelia's mother's house. Cordelia looked sad as she peered at the small house her mother had moved into during her parents' separation. Doyle reached around from the backseat and hugged her the best he could in their position. "You okay?" he asked her and she nodded, though didn't look so convincing.

Angel got out and followed the couple. He was introduced to Cordy's mom and thanked her for allowing them to come visit on such short notice. He was waved off and briefly they all visited with one another. When her mom excused herself to answer a phone call, he turned all business. He said he doubted he'd need them right now so Cordelia did her best to direct him around the small town, telling him all the places she could imagine Buffy might be at.

"You sure you don't want at least me to follow behind?"

Angel thought for a moment then shook his head. "Nah. I'll call you for backup if need be and leave the car," he said handing the keys over. "Right now I'm just going to go talk to her about the vision and let her know we're here. If whatever you saw comes to pass... we'll handle it all the same."

OoOoO

Buffy was fighting off a small pack of vamps but more importantly complaining to Giles about how one of her classes was going. With the way things had been going lately she'd had a lot less time with her watcher so it was nice to have him out patrolling with her tonight. She was just finishing up her rant about the professor whens he plunged a stake into one of the two remaining vampires then felt her whole body tingle and pause.

"Buffy? Are you alright?"

Buffy nodded, her eyes darting around her until she found him. She still couldn't see him but she knew he was there somehow. "Angel," she breathed out right before he stepped out of the shadows. Somehow he looked better than she remembered from just weeks ago.

Giles blinked a few times, taking in the newest vampire. "Oh," is all he had to say at the moment. Then he called out for Buffy to remember they hadn't exactly finished up here yet.

"Right," she said, shaking her head. She fought about the large football player looking demon for another few moments before he too was nothing but dust in the wind. She wiped her forehead and let out a deep breath before walking the short distance over to Angel. "Hi there," she greeted.

"Hi. Nice show."

She shrugged. "It wasn't too impressive. It's been a slow night. And boring until you showed up... which begs the question as to why you have showed up. Not that I am complaining because it's very good to see you."

"Doyle had a vision about you," he told her. "I hope that doesn't make you any less happy to see me."

Buffy shook her head a little. She doubted any reason he was here would take that away. She waved him over to follow her and she introduced the two men in the cemetery with her before asking for more information about this vision the demon had of her. Giles took notes about everything they had to go off of for now and asked if Buffy wanted him to stay longer. She hugged him and told him to go ahead and get started on researching, she'd see him tomorrow. He quietly asked if she was sure given the company he'd be leaving her with and she reminded him that Angel was on their side and he need not worry.

Though she felt nerves build up as he left them alone but for very different reasons.

"Wanna give me a grand tour?" he asked as they watched Giles disappear.

"Okay, but it's not much," she warned.

OoOoO

When Buffy began yawning every few moments she apologized but Angel asked if it were alright if he walked her home. "I'm sorry, it's been a week of too many tests and projects. I think I wound up more wore down than I realized."

Angel shook his head. "It's fine. And I'm here for as long as I'm needed so there's always tomorrow night to see what's left of your little slice of hell."

"Don't get too excited. There's really not a lot of this town," she warned.

"It has you," he said and Buffy felt like her whole entire body must have turned a nice shade of red. She couldn't even find words to speak for awhile and just walked alongside him in silence until they stumbled onto a demon who was caught breaking into a car the street over from hers. This time Angel got a few punches in when she found herself knocked down by the giant creature. Angel got a huge cut through his jacket and shirt right before she used one of her leftover stakes to drive into the creature's skull. It didn't turn him to dust but instead a nasty pool of blue goo. It started to bubble and she frowned in annoyance. She really hated slimey beasts.

"Are you alright?" he asked, touching her shoulder briefly.

Buffy nodded, looking at him. He was wearing his demonic face, there was a cut above his eye plus the situation with his stomach. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a scratch. I'm more grossed out by the guts popping up and getting on me," she told him, wiping the few little blue dots off of her arm. Buffy sighed heavily before leading him through a shortcut through her neighbor's yard to her house. She unlocked the door then extended an invitation to the vampire so he could come inside.

"My mom's out of town for a few days for work," she told him, swallowing hard as the words left her. "So it's just us."

Buffy led him through the house to the kitchen and asked to see where the demon got him. She sucked in her breath as he slipped his jacket off, folding it neatly and placing it on the counter top. He pressed a hand to his shirt and told her that really was fine but she smacked his hand out of her way so she could look. He let his hands brace against the counter behind him as she poked and prodded, she grabbed a washcloth and wet it a little to wipe up a little of the blood. "It's not so bad. Think your shirt got the worst of it," she said but found herself blushing again as her hand lingered on his abdomen.

Looking up, her eyes met with his and she felt a rush go through her entire body.

"Y-you have a little cut on your forehead still. Let me get some clean supplies and I'll take care of it," she barely managed out. "You can go sit down if you want. I-in case you're dizzy or something." Under her breath she muttered that she certainly was.

OoOoO

Angel was in fact feeling a little woozy but it had nothing to do with his injuries and everything to do with the blonde. He made his way back to her living room, taking a seat on the sofa and pondering what exactly was happening. The smell of her arousal was flooding his every sense and making it hard to concentrate on anything else. There was no more trying to play off those lusty looks and feelings he got from her when they were last around one another now, but it was still too much for him to wrap his head around.

He hadn't picked up on any of this when she was around the vampires she was fighting in the cemetery earlier. Only him.

When she returned, she sat on the coffee table in front of him, her hand trembling a little as she dabbed a cotton ball above his eye. She cleaned him up but after she was finished, he found her hand coming back up to his face. Her eyes seemed to take in every inch of his bumps and ridges, her fingertips also trying to nearly memorize him it felt into her skin.

Suddenly catching herself, her eyes widened and her arm snapped back to her side. "I'm sorry."

Angel tilted his head slightly to the side and stared at her as she blushed all over again. Daring to, he leaned forward, grabbing her around the waist and pulling him to her. Her knees rested on either side of him, her hands coming up to his shoulders. Her heartbeat was rapid.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to... I mean just because I'm the..."

Angel shook his head, cutting her off. His fingers rubbed little designs against her warm skin between the hem of her shirt and the top of the skirt she was wearing.

Cautiously, one of her hands came back up to his face. Her fingertip ran over the wound before she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his temple. "This is probably very, very wrong," she breathed out as her fingertips returned to tracing over lines and forms of his face.

"I'm sure there's a number of rules about it."

She let out a sound that was close to a breathy laugh. "I see vampires every day and don't think twice about it," she said softly, to the point if it weren't for his super senses he doubted he'd really hear her. "But it's different when I look at you." She swallowed hard, her thumb brushing against his bottom lip. "I like both with you, your human face and this one. I have a hard time not thinking about you in any and all of my free time," she admitted.

Angel's hands slid under the bottom of her shirt and up her back, she arched against his touch before he helped guide her to him. He paused for just a moment before letting his lips find her, tasting her carefully as to not cut her with his exposed fangs. For a moment he wondered if she would actually mind that, however.

Switching back to his human face when he wanted more of her, she moaned, scooting her whole body closer to him. His tongue slipped into the depths of her mouth, wondering how one woman could taste like this. Buffy's hands gripped his neck, pulling him more to her. Her hips moved, testing different angles as she rubbed against the growing bulge in his pants.

Pulling away from him when she needed air to inflate her lungs again, she quickly removed her plain black tee shirt and tossed it to the floor. Her eyes greedily drank in his newly exposed skin, her hands roaming over his now-bare shoulders and arms. Her fingernails scratched down his backside as far as she could reach up as he tangled a hand back in her hair, pulling her back to him, drowning himself in her. The house was so silent and still, all you could hear was the sounds of their kissing and moans as they fell from their swollen lips.

"You feel so good" Buffy whispered right before he began sucking on the soft flesh of the side of her throat. The demon inside of him raged, showing itself again as the sacred blood pumped and called to him. Buffy didn't even flinch at the change which only made him feel more empowered. His fangs scraped against her but didn't penetrate through and she shivered before his hands made quick work of removing her small shirt, throwing it down beside his discarded tee. His fingers went to the clasp of her bra and she looked panicked for a moment so he stilled. "I'm not very... um..." she blushed. "I'm wearing a push-up," she told him. "It's kind of disappointing so... you might want to just leave that be."

He growled at her trying to apologize for the size of her breasts. "You're perfect," he ground out as he undid the back of her bra, easily slipping it down her arms and letting it fall to the ground with the rest of the clothing they'd lost so far. Her green eyes resembled saucers as she watched his hands return to her body, holding her naked globes in his large hands. His face returned to normal as he tested the weight in his palms, let his thumbs brush over the hard peeks.

OoOoO

Buffy felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. Everything Angel was doing to her made her body want to twist and twitch in ways it never had before. Her hands tangled up in hair dark locks, unsure at times if she was trying to pull her more to her or push him away before she'd explode. His hands had been one thing but as he began to tease her nipples with his cool tongue and flawless, talented mouth was a completely other.

A couple hundred years of probably perfecting such things probably helped she assumed before pushing those thoughts right back out of her head. She didn't want to picture him with anyone else. Not before her and, truth be told, never again.

The pulsing sensation between her legs was too intense, feeling his response to her was even more... Taking a deep breath, she whispered her wish for him to take her upstairs to her bedroom.


	4. Chapter 4

Angel carefully laid Buffy down on her suddenly very small bed. His large body hovered over hers and she found she loved the feeling of his weight against her, it was better than she had pictured in any of the millions of times she must have by this point. Her eyes darted around her room and she blushed a little, it was certainly on the younger side still in this room... not that he was paying any attention at all to anything but her. What she wouldn't have given to not have stuffed animals and old Disney movie covers staring back at her right now though.

When his lips met hers once more, it all fell away for her. All there was right now was him.

Her tiny bed no longer mattered, the collection of momentos from her younger years no longer mattered, the pile of dirty clothes she'd yet to get to... It all just disappeared from her mind.

Buffy's hands tangled up in his smooth locks of hair as he explored her mouth, growing more intense by the second. Angel's body lowered as he left her lips to taste her throat once more, her collar bone, between the small space between her breasts... Buffy's breathing hitched in her throat as he made a trail, kissing and nibbling random spots along her toned stomach.

Following the same pathway, he began to gracefully make his way back up her body. His tongue flicked each of her nipples this time as he paused to enjoy them in this new position before she grabbed him roughly, pulling him back to her mouth. Buffy knew that never in a million years would she be in this sort of position with anyone else... never had come close but also knew there was no way she'd be hopping into bed or being in a state of undress like this with some guy she'd met in class or at a frat party or whatever. She could hardly say she really knew Angel... more as though she knew of him than anything else... but something about him set her on freaking fire and she couldn't get enough. Something about being with him felt... right.

It had been hard enough when she'd met him to not act on how she felt but now he was here, he was in her town, he was in her house...

Buffy's small hands roamed away from the comfort of the back of his neck, squeezing his hard shoulders, running up and down in strong arms before exploring the cool flesh of his chest. He felt warmer everywhere after she touched him and it was an interesting contrast to her, he was also much smoother than she imagined somehow. It was like he was one of those Greek statues somehow come to life.

Without really thinking about it, her hands were soon massaging his throbbing erection through the front of his pants. She liked how he felt in her hands, how he moaned out her name harshly, breaking their kiss. Buffy swallowed, looking between their bodies as her fingers continued to move on their own... going to the top button of his pants and undoing it, then letting the zipper slowly down. "Angel," she whispered, her voice a little shaky, "I-I've never... um..."

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to, Buffy."

Her head shook. "N-no. I'm just... I've never done any of th-this... and I just don't want to do something wrong..."

He kissed her again. "I don't think that could even be possible," he whispered.

She glanced back up at him briefly before going back to the front of his pants. Her hands slid his clothing down as far as she could manage then cautiously danced two fingertips against his velvet flesh. Her fingertips swirled around the head of his angry looking cock before she palmed the hard shaft in her hand the best she could. Her eyes were transfixed on him as she began moving her hand up and down his length, unable to look at anything else.

Her tiny hand squeezed, stroked him, massaged the rigid flesh. She tested different amounts of pressure and speeds and found herself moaning the more she watched the scene she was creating before her. Angel's hips began to jerk into her hand slightly before he breathed out her name. His hand came to rest atop hers an gently removed it from his aching manhood. She let out a whimper at the loss and could have swore he did, too.

OoOoO

Angel's hands took in her inner thighs, loving how every single inch of this tiny woman felt against him. Shamefully, he'd been with more women in his long lifetime than he'd like to admit - especially during his pre-curse days - but he couldn't remember a single one of them setting him aflame as this little Slayer was tonight. Her skirt flirted up as his hands moved and he groaned at the first sight of her tiny pale blue underwear. The crotch was several shades darker from the wetness seeping from her and it was nearly enough to his undoing right then and there.

His hands slid up to her hips, his thumbs hooking in the tiny sides of the thin material. Buffy's bottom lifted to assist him in pulling them off of her. The wet panties and her small skirt made their way to the carpeted floor of her bedroom and then he made quick work of removing her socks and boots.

Angel started by kissing at her left hip and slowly making his way closer to her mound. She instinctively tried closing her legs against him but he assured her everything was okay. At the first lap at her he thought she was going to faint, come, or both from that alone. Her hands grasped the bed underneath her as he began to make slow licks at her sex, bottom to top.

Gently opening her folds with his thumb, Angel began to explore deep within her petaled lips. Vampires taste buds certainly left plenty to be desired beyond the familiarity of blood but there was no denying she was sending shockwaves through him... he couldn't get enough of how she felt, smelled... how she tasted. He wondered for a moment if it was due to her being a chosen one or if it were just her... at the end of the day it didn't matter though, just that she was right here and he was getting to explore her.

He dipped his flat tongue into her opening and her thighs squeezed the sides of his head. He lapped at her honey until she was trembling and only then did he return to massaging the sides of her pleasure button. He began to suck on the bundle of nerves and Buffy began grinding her hips into his face as she gasped. She moves in rhythm with him, her breathing erratic. He knows she's close now... increasing his speed, he inserts one finger gently into her center and she begins to nearly ride the long digit, then digits as he inserts a second, until he feels her muscle contract and she shudders.

Using her pleasure to his advantage, Angel lingers his way up her small body, positioning himself at her opening. He waits until she manages to signal that it's okay for him to and then he slowly pushes his way inside the tiny Slayer. Buffy screams his name as he passes the thin barrier of her innocence and it took everything he had not to come from the mixture of the feeling of her soft walls clenching the holy hell out of his hard rod, the smell of her one of a kind blood mixed together with her arousal, the sounds she made...

He was pretty sure this was heaven.

Or as close as he was ever going to get.

OoOoO

The pain wasn't as bad as she'd imagined it which was helpful. Angel stilled inside of her, his mouth suckling on her exposed throat as she adjusted. When he began to move in and out of her wet heat she thought she'd never felt anything as exciting than this. A vampire was in her bed, inside of her body and somehow it felt like it was always meant to be just like this.

He was moving painfully slow, drawing out his every move and making her mad with pleasure. He whispered in her ear how amazing she felt, how beautiful she was and she loved the husky rasp he had in his voice as he spoke to her. Her inner walls caressed his stiffness with every move he made as his pace began to increase. Buffy's knees lifted so they could hook around each other behind him at his knees and her hands felt like they were everywhere... in his hair, gripping the back of his neck, pulling at his shoulders, scratching light lines up and down his back.

When she could no longer keep up with his frantic thrusting, she just held on for dear life, his name falling from her lips in breathy moans that seemed to only encourage him more. She also kept pleading him for something... she just didn't know what exactly it was she needed... him to go faster, harder... slower... she didn't know at this point.

Angel's large hand snaked between their moving bodies and it was over before she knew it after that. Her body moved in ways that she knew would probably make her a little sore tomorrow, she screamed his name so loud that the neighbor's had to have heard her, and all there was was bright lights taking over. Her orgasm went on forever and she worried it might not ever end and she'd be paralyzed like this forever but eventually her senses came back to normal, her breathing regular. But nothing was going to be the same, she knew that much.

OoOoO

Angel held the small slayer flush against his body as she began to drift off to sleep. He kissed behind her ear, down her neck a few times and she sighed happily, snuggling somehow even closer to him. He thought if she kept wiggling her ass into him like she was she may not get much sleep, though. One taste of this blonde was hardly enough, he was sure this was just the start of his addiction to her.

"It's starting to storm," she muttered, half asleep.

He nodded, closing his own eyes. He could hear the rain picking up outside and had heard one clap of thunder so far.

"I don't like storms."

He half smiled, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "Let me worry about the weather," he whispered. "You just get some of that much needed rest."

"You'll protect me?"

"Always."

She made another happy little sighing sound and it wasn't long at all until he knew she was off into peaceful dreamland. He laid there enjoying the sounds of her breathing, her heartbeat against the howling wind and hard rain happening outside.

OoOoO

Buffy wasn't sure how long she had been asleep but it was still dark outside. She yawned, wishing she could just turn over, pull the covers more over her shoulders and fall right back into her dreams but Angel wasn't there. She frowned as she looked at her bed, around the room, at the slightly opened door to her bedroom. She didn't see any sight of him nor currently heard any sign of him.

Sitting up, she frowned again and rubbed a hand down her tired face. "Angel?" she called out, then again a little louder when she didn't get a response.

Shivering as cold air hit her naked body, she slowly climbed out of the bed. She slipped her discarded socks back on but found a new pair of panties and an oversized long sleeved shirt to throw on before hurrying to the bathroom then on to trying to find the missing vampire.

OoOoO

Jenny Calendar sat outside in her car staring at the Summer's residence. The storm wasn't helping to settle her nerves one damn bit. She nearly jumped out of her skin every time it would thunder or lightening would strike too close.

She didn't think Rupert was ever going to fall asleep after he got home and filled her in on his night with Buffy... how he had patrolled with her, how she went on about one of her teachers, told him a few stories about the kids in their little circle... Then he had mentioned Angel. How Angel was in town with Cordelia and his link to the PTB, Doyle... how there had been some vision about the tiny blonde that had them worried enough to come all the way out here... how Buffy had been left alone with the vampire.

It didn't surprise her that he was inside the house with Buffy. She'd known for some time now that the two of them would meet eventually and lives would forever be altered.


	5. Chapter 5

Buffy frowned as she found Angel, he was staring quite intensely at the closed door in the dark room other than the infrequent flashes of lightening. "Angel?" she called out as she reached the bottom of the stairs and he still hadn't moved.

Her arm reached out to his bare back and it seemed to pull him out of whatever trance he was in. His head turned as she moved around to the side of his body. "Did I wake you?" he asked.

Buffy shook her head, her tangled mess of blonde hair moving with her. "I don't think so. But I did feel quite lonely when I woke up and you weren't there."

His lips twisted to the side a little and he pulled her closer to him. "I'm sorry," he told her softly. "I woke up and thought it might be a good idea to send a quick message to Doyle and Cordelia. He was awake and called so I hurried out of the way to try and not wake you up."

"Mmm."

He kissed her forehead softly. "I was also going to grab our clothes and bring them back to the room when... well, I don't know what happened. I felt like something was outside."

"Like a vampire? Demon? Evil witch perhaps?" she prodded.

He shrugged. "I don't really know. It was faint and almost felt like a memory of something... I don't know. Maybe I was imagining it."

Buffy's own lips twisted up for a moment and she tried to peer out the small windows to her front door. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary amongst the storm raging on out there. "Maybe it left?" she asked, turning back around. "My neighbors' dog is running wild out there... again. Maybe you picked up on her."

Angel chuckled a little. "That must've been it." His hands returned to her hips and pulled her back to him. Buffy smiled as he kissed her. "I think you're overdressed," he whispered against her mouth.

"You're one to talk," she teased, looking at his boxers he'd put back on. "Besides, I was cold, alone and wasn't about to just start walking around all naked through this house if I can help it. You never know when a demon might attack... or lurk." That was a nightmare right there. Buffy thankfully didn't get much a chance to ponder thoughts of some creep-o demon standing outside watching her as Angel quickly pinned her between his body and the wooden door. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she used that as leverage to lift herself up off the ground so she could also wrap her legs around him.

Their heavy make-out session quickly turned into a heavy petting session as his hands made their way under the large shirt she'd put on. Mirroring earlier, Angel removed the offending article of clothing and tossed it down to the floor. The shirts he'd come down here to gather up were forgotten, remaining where they were on the floor as well as he carried her right back up the stairs two at a time.

OoOoO

Angel felt himself growing rock hard as Buffy's tiny hand fondled him after freeing him from the confides of his boxer shorts once more. He thought somehow she looked even more curious now than she had their first time and had to stop looking at her for a moment and instead stared at the ceiling above him.

Buffy's small fingers continued to explore, she caressed his hard shaft, swirled her fingertips under the mushroom head time and again.

When he reached for her, she willing went with him. One leg was thrown over his body so she was straddling his hips. He helped guide his dick toward her entrance and let her set the pace from there. Buffy gently lowered herself down onto him until he was nestled into her as far as their bodies would allow. She sat there for just a moment before leaning slightly forward and her thumbs teased at his nipples. Angel's hands went to her hips as she began slowly raising and lowering her body against him.

Moving his hands from her hips to her breasts, Buffy sat upright again, letting her head fall back and her eyes closed as she moaned softly with each slow rise and fall. Her pace quickened slightly and he found himself fascinated with the sight of his cock pumping in and out of her as she moved, the way her chest bounced in his palms, her hair tossing all around her carelessly.

Pinching and pulling on her hard nipples made Buffy shiver, he could feel every bit of the rush of pleasure as it swept through her tiny frame. It temporarily messed with her smooth rhythm but she quickly found a new one, increasing her pressure and speed as she moved. She alternated between riding him up and down and rocking back and forth.

Angel found himself unable to just lie there much longer, his hips moving on their own accord to slam up into her seeking release. He held on to her tightly at her waist, pushing her up and down repeatedly and making sure her clit made contact with him at every downward thrust. It didn't take much more than that for Buffy's eyes to squeeze shut and her to just keep repeating for him to "fuck her just like this" before she clenched all around him, her body beginning to shake.

OoOoO

Angel cracked an eye open, looking mighty confused at the small blonde as she raced out of his arms and out of the bed. "Is everything okay?" he asked. He'd barely heard her on the phone just minutes ago, too exhausted to deal with trying to follow along with any conversation she'd been having.

She blushed and giggled a little. "Yes. No. It'll be fine. I just... I need a shower... and clothes. Very much needing clothes."

His head lifted up slightly. "Mmm, absolutely not."

She let out that breathy giggle again. "Oh, yes I do. Giles thinks he found something or another... an Order of something, Gather of Whoknowswhat... something as a clue for whatever Doyle might have caught a glimpse of in that vision."

"And?" he mumbled, still partially asleep.

"And he and his girlfriend are on their way over here." She quickly grabbed up some clothes and ran over to kiss him swiftly. "Oh, and he's just going to know... of course he's going to know..." she trailed off, her face wrinkling up. "Oh..." she trailed off again. Shaking her head, she kissed him once more before running off toward the bathroom.

OoOoO

Before falling asleep once more, Angel had done his best to add a little extra touches to try and vampire proof parts of Buffy's home as he knew he'd be here for at least the following day. He certainly didn't want to wake up with the sunlight setting him ablaze in Buffy's bed to start their morning off.

When there was a loud knocking on the door he heard Buffy - who was still in the shower - yell out "Oh shit! Giles!" He snickered and finished doing up his belt. Buffy's head peeked out from around the shower curtain. "I'm almost done I promise. Anyway you could yell down at him or something? Or bring me my phone?"

"You're sexy when you're all flustered."

"Stop that!"

"How about I go let them in? Join when you're dressed, huh?"

OoOoO

Angel stared hard at this Jenny Calendar as his mind raced trying to place what this feeling she gave off was. He could have swore she was what he'd got a taste of in the wee hours and had set some internal alarm off inside of him. It seemed as though she was making a point to not look at him or be too close to him too so that only made him more curious.

He could tell that the watcher both wanted to kind of know what had happened... but given what had... really, really did not all the same. He was sure the whole thing had to be quite curious to the Englishman who was in charge of the teenager and her fate as The Chosen One.

When Buffy finally came bounding down the stairs it was like everything let out a collective sigh of relief.

OoOoO

_Finally, it struck him._

"Kalderash," he whispered. He looked over at Jenny. "Do they know who you are?" he asked.

This Jenny woman stared at him in near surprise, her heartbeat increasing. "No," she answered, her voice soft.

Buffy and Giles had stopped mid-sentence to look at the two of them.

"Why are you here?" Angel asked.

"Kalderash?" Buffy asked. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Gypsies," Giles breathed out, clearly putting a few pieces together already.

"Gypsies?" Buffy repeated. "Like the people who cursed you with a soul?"

"Yes," the other three answered in unison.

Buffy still looked confused. "Why would Miss Calendar be a gypsy?"

Jenny sighed and Angel repeated his question from before. Jenny ran a frustrated hand through her hair and began walking around in circles. "This is not how I wised for any of this to come out."

"What exactly is 'this'?" Buffy asked.

Finally, Jenny sat down, nervously toying with her hands as they sat in her lap. "My... my people are of the clan who cursed the vampire known as Angelus with his soul. I was sent here... originally... to keep an eye on him, to make sure his pain and suffering continued. My elders were a little concerned with this new path of redemption and how it was effecting him."

Giles sat down as well, removing his glasses and cleaning them with a small white cloth he pulled from his pocket.

"I was raised by these people, my duty to them... that was all I have ever known," she said softly. "That's all I've ever had to really care anything about."

"Then why are you in Sunnydale?"

Jenny sighed. "I was on my own for the first time. Ever. I had this clear objective... I had a plan. I went to Los Angeles and I was getting my backstory set up so I could look after him... and then fate stepped in. A demon named Whistler came along and changed everything."

"Whistler?"

"He made me realize that there's a bigger play here, a bigger destiny than the one my clan has as their sole focus and purpose," she told them. "I came to Sunnydale to meet the new Vampire Slayer. The girl who is written in the stars, the girl who is written in some very hard to find lore to fall in love with the enemy and stop a lot of evil on this planet alongside him. I never came here with intent to hurt anyone... I just wanted to know more about it all. So, I came to Sunnydale and I got to know all of you... I fell in love," she looked at Giles, "I cared about you," she said to Buffy, "and the others. The more I got to know all of you the less I care about making Angel pay for what happened so long ago. The more I learned about this bond you and Angel are meant to have... the less it seemed to matter about what happened so long ago. It's clear Angel is not that same monster who hurt my people and is trying to better himself." Jenny swallowed. "Part of the problem, however, was the rest of the curse."

"Rest of?" Angel asked.

"It doesn't make a long of sense in the long run... but my people wanted Angel to suffer and were kind of in the state of mind of consequences be damned. They put a clause in about how if Angel truly experienced a moment of true happiness... he would lose his soul again, he would revert back to being Angelus."

Buffy's eyes widened.

"I figured it was only a matter of time until the two of you had to come together somehow, especially once we learned about Cordelia crossing paths and becoming part of his team back in LA." Jenny sighed looking back at the Slayer. "You instinctively were so interested in learning about Angel. You would get this look on your face when he was mentioned, Buffy... it wasn't hard to accept without any doubt at this point that you were the one they were writing about. And I had a choice to make."

"What does that mean?" Buffy asked.

"I had to choose between the past and the present, between right and wrong. I had to choose to let things unfold between you two and leave it in fates hands. Maybe being around you would do exactly what they say... keep easing the weight of all the horrible things he'd done as Angelus... bring him peace and happiness the more he was around you and when the time came... let him lose his soul as the curse demands."

"Or?"

"Or... I could understand that it does no one any good to lose him from our side, to unleash Angelus back on the world around us. I could understand that there's a reason you two were always supposed to find one another and it wasn't for something evil."

"What did you do?" Giles asked softly.

Jenny smiled a little nervously. "I didn't know if it would actually take," she admitted. "But I changed the curse, the happiness clause part... I made sure to bind Angel's soul to him no matter what. So... maybe it would be one less thing we'd have to worry about, and the two of you can see exactly how far you can go with this, what all you two can do together. I just wanted to help..."

The room fell utterly silent as each one of them tried to take all of this new information in and tried to process it.


	6. Chapter 6

Jenny tried her best to answer the questions being fired at her one after another. She didn't blame the tension in the room on anyone but herself and had wished she'd been able to go about all of this quite differently. It had been so easy when she was growing up or even when some of the elders had come to her with this plan about Angelus. Various times over the years members of their clan would seek the vampire out and they would check on how he was doing in the world around them all. She'd been so proud that she had been chosen for this mission.

Somehow they had gotten wind about the idea of someone wanting to go to the vampire and change the course his life was currently on and that absolutely was not okay with them. They'd wished for her to stop it before any of it began with Whistler and his training, with him going to LA... but time had not allowed for that. There were so many pieces that had to be put into place.

Being on her own was liberating in so many ways. She wasn't exactly the youngest woman at this point but it felt like new life had been risen in her as she faced this new challenge.

Whistler had started the change in her life direction. She still wasn't sure what exactly it was about the demon that got through to her in that first meeting or any of the following they'd have over the years but he knew exactly which buttons to push with her, exactly the right words to make her reconsider what she was doing.

Jenny's hands grasped onto the large book she'd pulled from her bag earlier. She was pretty sure you could count on one hand the number of humans who'd had the fortune of seeing this text that spoke of the destiny of an unknown slayer which she would come to later assume to be Buffy Summers. It was too dangerous in the world... The Watcher's Council had tried to bury it, it falling into the wrong hands of some creature of the night wasn't going to be good news for anyone...

Jenny explained more about how she wound up in Sunnydale, her heart sinking with some of the looks Rupert and Buffy would cast her way every now and then. She knew that she should have come clean to them a long time ago now about who she really was but it just never felt like a good time, and the more time that went on the harder it was to be brave enough... too terrified she'd lose them because of the actions she'd taken.

She had come here to learn more about this newly called Slayer after talking with Whistler, after the book... Just in case.

Buffy Summers was a surprise to her. By glancing at her she sure wouldn't have pegged the girl as The Chosen One. Then there was the fact she was unlike any one of the girls before her, she was stronger, she wasn't overly willing to do what she was told, she had a strong mind of her own, the fact she had a group around her rather than being alone in this fight against evil forces... It made sense.

It didn't take much for her to put Angel as the first half, it seemed rather clear in her mind that he was the one spoken of from all she knew about him. And, if the text were true about him, it made his run in all those many years ago with her clan all part of it.

And it'd gotten her asking a load of questions to anyone willing to answer. She could still remember clear as day when she'd found out about that little "extra" part to the curse, how she had raged over the phone with her father, trying to understand how that was supposed to help their clan, how it would fix the past, how it made any sense in the long run. Unleashing the monster that was Angelus - for any reason - just did not make sense to her.

She remembered the first time Angel had been mentioned to Buffy. His name hadn't even been spoken but she'd paid close attention to the small blonde girl as that information passed through her. It wasn't beyond any of them how fascinated she found the whole idea and that only grew the more she learned about the cursed vampire.

Jenny couldn't have foreseen what some "perfect moment of happiness" for Angel would be but after debating with herself long enough she'd finally decided it just didn't matter. It wasn't worth it to even have the option about something like that out there in the world. She knew Angel's pain was lessening by the day, he was trying to make up for all he had done in his life... she knew if his and Buffy's paths would cross that if the story rang true about the two of them that his heart would not be as tortured either. If he loved her, if he grew to love her as she suspected he would, sooner or later that moment had to happen.

She'd just hoped by the time she was able to do the spell it hadn't been too late.

Luckily, that hadn't been an issue.

She could only assume her people hadn't any idea of what had happened or at least that she had been the one to do the binding but it would only be a matter of time until she had to answer to them this time. But she had no regrets, especially not after this morning, not as she sat here in the same room as the two of them and could only imagine the good they could do together now.

OoOoO

Clearing his throat, Giles finally stood up, wiping his glasses nervously yet again. They had gone over the situation with Jenny for what felt like a lifetime and she had told them more about the prophecy she was sure was about his Slayer and Angel before laying it down on the coffee table. Shaking his head, he stated that perhaps they discuss the other issue at hand which had led to him and Jenny coming over here to begin with this morning.

When Angel asked if they would like him to call Doyle over, he nodded. He was interested in knowing more about these visions this Doyle character had and if there was any way to get more information about the current threat about Buffy that ranked her high enough to be in one such mental picture.

OoOoO

Cordelia stood silently as everyone around her seemed to be caught up in discussions about... well, she wasn't really paying that much attention. About how Jenny was apparently not Jenny, this whatever thing that her boyfriend had seen in his head attacking Buffy, and all that... but her mind was certainly elsewhere.

She looked at Buffy, at Angel, and tried to picture the two of them together. She tried to put the pieces together as to why of all the vampires in the world Buffy had to cross paths with her damn boss, why of all the women in this world he had to all hung up on her high school... well, whatever Buffy was. It wasn't as though they always hated each other, but they sure hadn't ended on good terms either. And there'd been more crapshoot times with the damn girl than happy memories being made.

"Did you really sleep with Angel?" she finally blurted. The whole room went dead silent, all eyes falling on her. Buffy's were wide and she blushed deeply which was all the confirmation she needed. Cordelia's face scrunched up for a moment then she couldn't help but ask, "But wasn't it... like... cold. You know, down there."

"Oh, my," Giles muttered.

Everyone else had their own ways of groaning about the question but Cordelia brushed it off. "Oh, please. Like you all haven't thought it. Shake the man's hand, it's like you're touching ice! And while we haven't got as touchy feely as they two of them have in other areas, I can only assume it's not much warmer elsewhere. Which, also, I never thought I'd need to really know this, though truth be told it has been a question in my mind for some time now, but how exactly does the whole sex thing work anyhow? You're dead..."

"Cordelia," Giles cut her off. "Please, do stop talking."

"Everyone wants to know these things, Giles!"

"No, no," he argued softly. "Not everyone. No."

"Can't those Watcher people, like, fire you or something over fornicating with your sworn enemy?"

Buffy let out an annoyed sigh. "They can't fire me, Cordelia. It's not some job I signed up for or did you forget all of that?"

"Well, maybe not... but they could have you killed or something. Worse than unemployment!"

OoOoO

As a large after thought, before leaving Giles had given some of the stash of blood they kept for Spike to Angel. He didn't mentioned the platinum blonde however. He knew they had a long sorted history and quite honestly this one conversation had taken enough out of him for now and they could discuss it all at a later time.

OoOoO

While Angel had excused himself with the blood supply, Buffy sat down on the sofa, close to where Jenny had been for most of the past few hours. She grabbed at the large book and pulled it into her lap and began flipping through it. Miss Calendar had bookmarked the mention of this rogue slayer girl and thankfully had also left a number of loose papers inside with the translation because Lord knew she wasn't going to be able to read whatever the hell language this was all in.

Modern English was hard enough at times.

She'd been part of a couple prophecies in her day by this point. Some weren't so bad, this might be her favorite so far. Then again, some didn't take either... like the whole thing with The Master in her first year here in the 'Dale. He was supposed to kill her but that didn't plan out as it had been foretold.

Buffy read it over once then twice before closing the book and placing it back on the table. It didn't take any grand leaps of faith to understand why someone might get the idea in their head that it was written about Angel, or her for that matter. The words didn't answer any of the very long string of new questions she had, though. The "are you for sure?" "How could you be sure?" "What does this all mean?" "Why?" and that list that just seemed to go on and on as she thought more about it.

OoOoO

Buffy smiled a little as she felt Angel's eyes on her, slowly lifting her head up to find him. He began moving across the room to her as soon as their eyes locked and she found herself easily being lifted off of the soft cushion and into his arms moments later. "Do you wanna read it?"

His head shook. "Not right now."

"It's an interesting tale."

"Is it now?"

"Mmhmm. A whole big thing that, if about us, is all about how we're destined to be together."

He was silent for a moment before kissing her. "I don't need a book to tell me that," he whispered.

"No?"

His head shook again. "A grand love story between a vampire slayer and a vampire. Two champions of the world who will face great odds, face many battles side by side, save the world many times over..."

Buffy smiled a little. "Hey now, how'd you guess?" she joked with him.

But there was no hint of laughter when he answered. "Because that's what I already see every time I look at you."

OoOoO

As the beautiful blonde lay beside him once more, Angel stroked a finger down her face before pulling the blanket closer to her shoulders. He was having a hard time wrapping his own mind about what all had been going on and couldn't imagine what it must be like for her.

He'd been around this world for a few centuries now and nothing had ever made him feel more alive than being with Buffy had. Not even back when he was running wild with Darla or being part of the famed fanged four had gave him the sort of rush as she did.

He had come a long way over the years... being terrified of the world around him for so long after the curse, after too many run ins with humans in various towns throughout the United States, that robbery incident that had sent him right back to living like a homeless man and feeding on rats... to the moment Whistler stepped in and changed everything around for him. Even once he got settled in in LA again and as Doyle and later Cordelia and the gang got into the picture it hadn't always been smooth but it was a far cry from the life he used to lead. He'd found a place to belong and a way to do good. He was strong, he had purpose...

And yet, this tiny little thing beside him could make him feel like he had no idea what he was doing at times. He didn't feel like "The Dark Avenger" as Cordelia loved calling him when he was with her, he felt like either had two modes... either there were butterflies swarming in the pit of his stomach or flames of desire. Not much else right now.

Whether they were the ones this story was written about or not, he knew fate had to have a hand in them meeting and in the way they had found they felt for one another. Angel knew he wasn't here right now by accident. Not in Sunnydale, not just because of Doyle's vision of her, not in her bed, not in her life. None of that wasn't without some bigger purpose. He may not know what it was right now but he was sure all would be revealed sooner or later.


End file.
